Stocking heel construction



2 SHEETS--SHEET 1 Filed April 2'7, 1949 INVENTOR. CHRRLES B. BXEHL.

April 22, 1952 c. B. BlEHL 2,593,719

STOCKING HEEL CONSTRUCTION Filed April 2'7, 1949 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2 FIG-4- INVENTOR.

CHARLES B. B)EHL fg Mm,

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Patented Apr. 15, 1952 2,593,7 19 STOCKING HEEL CONSTRUCTION Charles B. Biehl, West Grove, Pa., assignor to David 1). Golf, 0. David Golf, and Alexander N. Rubin, doing business as Duchess Hosiery Mills, West Grove, Pa a partnership [application April 27, 1949, SerialNo. 89,825 3- Claims. (CL- 66-182) The present invention relates generally to full fashioned stockings and to methods of producing the-same, and more particularly to full fashioned stockings having an improved construction in the region of the ankle whereby the stockings will fit smoothly and comfortably on the legs of the wearers thereof.

A principal object of the present invention is to provide full fashioned stockings in which the ankle portions thereof are provided with fabric areas of reduced horizontal or circumferential stretch in order to snugly encircle the ankles of the wearers legs.

It is a still further object to provide full fashioned stockings in which the fabric wales in the area of the ankle, particularly in the region inn of the legs of the stockings.

'In accordance with the method of the present invention for altering the normal direction of the wales in the area of the ankle, adjacent the rear "seam, end groups of loops adjacent opposite sides -vertical extending wales of the stocking leg, and consequently the ankle portion of the stocking is fashioned to snugly fit the wearers leg and eliminate the unsightly creases which usually appear in the ankle region of the stocking.

When astocking of conventional manufacture is fitted on the wearers leg, the knitted fabric in the ankle portion thereof is subjected to an expanding force which is generally normal to the vertical wales of the stockings, the direction of this force being along the line of the courses which extend circumferentially about the ankle portion of the stocking and atright angles to the normal vertically extending wales of the stocking leg. However, in the stocking of the present invention wherein the ankle portion, especially the rear upper heel regions thereof, is characterized by wales extending at an angle to the normally extending wales of the stocking leg, the above-mentioned expanding force is not course wise but rather at an angle to the turned courses, and consequently in the region of these turned courses, the stretch capacity of the knitted fabric is. reduced with resultant better and more comfortable fit of the stocking about the ankle of its wearer.

niediately adjacent the rear seam, extend at an angle-to the normal vertically extending wales It is also'an object of the invention to provide full fashioned stockings having reinforced high splice heel areas, in which the high splice areas contain angled wales to provide stockings having better fitting ankle portions.

Other objects and attendant advantages will appear more fully from the following detailed description of the accompanying drawings wherein:

Figure 1 is a side view of the improved stock- Figure 2 is a rear view of the improved stocking as it appears when boarded flat upon a form;

Figure 3 is an enlarged fragrhentaryjside view of the ankle and heel portion of the stocking; and

Figure 4 is a diagrammatic view showing the method of production of the improved stocking on a flat bed knitting machine of the single unit type.

Referring now to the drawings andmore-par- 'ticularly to Figures 1 and 2 thereof, it will be observed that the present invention is embodied in a full fashioned stocking having a leg portion l0, which is tapered downwardly from the welt H by progressive narrowing stages in the usual manner during the knitting operation to the beginning of the ankle portion l2. It is in this ankle portion, between the area defined between the lines 11-11 and 0-0, that the knitting opera tion is modified according to the present invention to provide a more desirable and better fitting ankle for the stocking. The heel portion l3, below the line cc, and the foot portion l4 follow ankle portion 12 in the usual manner to complete the stocking.

The stocking is shown in Figure 1 as it appears after the usual boarding and finishing operations, its general outline and appearance being substantially the same as the usual full fashioned stockings with the exception of the high splice sections or areas I5-|5, indicated by the darker shading, which are characterized by wales extending at an angle to the normal vertically extending wales IS of the nonreinforced central area of this ankle portion, these wales I6 being in continuation of the usual vertical Wales of the stocking leg In.

In these high splice sections l5l5, as clearly appears in Figures 3 and 4, the wales extend at an angle to the central wales it of the leg [0 throughout all of the reinforced regions l5l5 beginning at the line aa and terminating at the line c-c. From the line a-a to the line b-b the inner marginal edges of the high splice'sections l5-l5 extend vertically,as at ll-il, adjacent which there are vertical lines of widening openings formed during the knitting operation. From the line 12-!) to the line c-c the inner marginal edges of these upper heel areas extend across the wales along the curved lines Iii-48 adjacent which there are also widening openings formed during the knitting operation. It will be observed that in the illustrated form of the invention the reinforced high splice sections l-l5 are co-extensive with the areas of the angled wales between the lines of the widening openings and the outer marginal or selvedge edges of the stocking blank. However, it is not necessary that these areas be co-extensive as the travel of the reinforcing yarn carriers may be greater or less than the number of needles upon which the angled wales are formed by the widening transfer combs of the machine. The particular outline of the reinforcedupper heel areas thus may be varied as desired, and the lines of widening openings may or may not follow the inner marginal edge of the reinforce. If desired, the lines of widening openings formed at opposite sides of the stocking in the region of its ankle portion may be located wholly within the reinforced areas, as shown, or they may be located within the non-reinforced instep area of the ankle. However, for purposes of appearance and strength the reinforced areas are preferably made co-extensive with the angled wale areas. Likewise, the lines of widening openings may extend along straight or curved lines at angles which may vary as desired with respect to the normal vertically extendin wales of the stocking leg.

In the angled wale areas i5l5, the courses extend in the direction of the arrow i9, and consequently, the direction of maximum stretch of fabric in such areas is at an angle to the direction of maximum stretch, indicated at 25, of the nonreinforced instep of the ankle l2. Znitted fabrics have a minimum of stretch walewise and a maximum of stretch coursewise, and, thus, in the angled Wale areas !5--i5 there is less stretch in the direction of the arrow 2! than there would be if these areas did not have their wales at the angle shown, that is, if they were parallel to the wales [6 as in stockings of conventional manufacture. Upon the foot of the wearer, the direction of the stretch in the fabric is circumferentially about the ankle, i. e., in the general direction of the arrows 253 and 25, and consequently, theangled wale areas l5l5 will be less subject to stretch circumferentially about the ankle and will thus provide a smoother and better fit over the wearers ankle.

Essentially, therefore, the present invention provides an area of angled wales in the region of the ankle portion of a stocking so that the permissible horizontally extending circumferential stretch in the fabric of the stocking in said ankle region is reduced. It will be noted that the amount of permissible stretch may be controlled by increasing or decreasing the area of the angled wales and also by increasing or decreasing the angle of the wales with respect to the normal vertical wales of the stocking. Obviously, the provision of areas of angled Wale fabric subject to bias stretchin in the stocking upon the wearers foot is independent of the extent of the heel reinforcing.

The method of producing the st cking is diagrammatically illustrated in Figure 4 wherein is shown a series of needles 22, a main yarn carrier 2 3, a pair of reinforcing yarn carriers 24 and 25, and a pair of fashioning transfer point combs 2&3 and 21'. The top H and leg portion H) of the stocking blank is knit in the usual manner down to the line a.-a of the ankle by employment of the main yarn carrier 23. Upon reaching the anaemia line w-a, the reinforcing yarn carriers 24 and 25 are brought into action to produce the ankle reinforcements l5-i5 (also known as the high splice reinforcements) at opposite sides of the blank down to the course at line cc, the travel of said carriers being maintained uniform from the line a,a to the line b-b with the reinforcements between these lines terminating in vertical inner marginal edges l'll"|'.

From the line b-b to the line cc, the travel of each of the reinforcing yarn carriers 24 and 25 is progressively increased inwardly so that the reinforcements between these lines terminate in the curved inner marginal lines lB-l 8 in continuation of the lines l'i-i'l. After knitting a few courses of reinforcing yarn in the high splice areas lE-I 5 just in advance of the line a a, the transfer combs 26 and 21 are shifted inwardly so that their points register with a number of the needles, preparatory to transferring the loops on these needles outwardly to adjacent needles. The number of needles covered by the transfer points will determine the number of wales which will be angled at the ankle. For example, in a stocking constructed in accordance with the present invention, thirty-four needles at each side of the stocking blank have their loops transferred outwardly by the combs 26 and 21. Preferably, the innermost'ones of the transfer points register with needles which are spaced one or two wales or needles outwardly from the inner edges l'i--fl of the reinforcement, so that the resulting lines of widening openings 2828 are adjacent the lines il-ll inside the reinforcemerit.

During the operation of laterally transferring the. loops at the course line bb, the combs 26 and 21 are moved outwardly periodically, for ex,- ample, a distance of one needle in every second course of knitting, and then moved inwardly a distance of one needle prior to each outward movement, so that the widening openings 28-28 are parallel to and adjacent the marginal edges 11-41 of the reinforced high splice areas. It will be noted that increasing the number of courses between the courses in which the combs transfer loops outwardly will decrease the angle at which the turned wales extend to the normal vertical wales and that decreasing the number of such intervening courses will increase the said angle. It is to be noted also that in allof the transfer courses in the area between the line c-a and the line bb-, the traverse of theyarn carriers 23, 24 and 25 remains unchanged and that the outermost transferred loops on each side of the stocking blank are transferred to bare needles from which they are dropped in the course of knitting following each transfer course. These dropped loops are not detrimental to the fabric and are incorporated in the usual rear seam used to form a stocking from the knitted blank.-

During the subsequent operation of laterally transferring the loops at the course line 0-0, the combs 26 and 21 are moved outwardly periodically a distance of one needle in each transfer course, which may be every other course or which may be courses spaced further apart as every fifth course, and are then moved inwardly a distance of at least two needles prior .to each outward movement, so that the resulting lines of widening openings 29-29 extend at an angle to the normal wales and are parallel to and adjacent the inner marginal edges l8l8 of the reinforce. It is to be noted that the number of courses intervening between the transfer courses may or may not be the same in the fabric defined between lines a,-a and bb and in the fabric defined between lines 12-?) and -0. In knitting the fabric in the area between lines b-b and 0-0, the'travel of the main yarn carrier 23 remains constant while the travel of the reinforcing yarn carriers 24 and 25 is correspondingly progressively increased inwardly as the combs 29 and 27 are progressively moved inward- 1y so that the inner marginal edges ill-l9 of the reinforcement are parallel to and inside the widening openings 29--29. In the knitted courses of the area extending between the lines b--b and cc, the outward transfer operation causes end loops to be dropped following each transfer course and these are incorporated in the usual rear stocking seam.

In the operation of knitting the stocking following the course designated by line 0-0, the usual conventional procedure is followed in which the fashioning combs are used to progressively transfer end series of loops outwardly, in conjunction With progressively increased travel of the main and reinforcing yarn carriers to make the wider heel portion l3 in continuation of the ankle portion. By appropriate control of the inward traverse of the reinforcing yarn carriers, the extent of the side foot reinforcement may be varied to provide a slipper foot shaped reinforced area, as shown, for the foot of the stocking. After the foot and the toe are made, also in the conventional manner, the blank may be seamed along its terminal side edges to provide the stocking shown in Figures 1 and 2.

The present invention has been illustrated in connection with a so called single unit type of full fashioned stocking. However, the invention is not so limited and may be embodied in other types of full fashioned stockings. It will be observed that this invention provides means for reducing the amount of stretch in theankle; just above the heel widening, to a degree below that normally present in full fashioned stockings to that the ankle fabric, and consequently the entire stocking, will more smoothly and comfortably fit the leg of the wearer.

The insertion of an area of fabric in the ankle in which the wales are at an angle to the normal vertical wales of a stocking provides that area with a maximum stretch capacity in a biased direction, instead of coursewise, when the stocking is worn, and thus such area of angled wales constitutes a variable control factor, for limiting the amount of stretch in the ankle portion of the stocking.

It will be understood, of course, that the present invention is susceptible of various changes and modifications which may be made from time to time without departing from the general principles or real spirit thereof, and it is accordingly intended to claim the same broadly, as well as specifically. as indicated in the appended claims.

What is claimed as new and useful is:

1. A full fashioned stocking having leg, ankle, heel and foot portions, a rear seam, and reinforced high splice sections on each side of the rear seam at the rear of the ankle portion and immediately above the heel portion, each of said high splice sections having a line of widening openings spaced from the rear seam and paralleling the inner boundary of said reinforced section, said lines of openings extending in part at least at an angle to the wales of the fabric, the wales of the fabric between said lines of openings and said rear seam extending at an angle to that portion of the seam which joins said high splice sections together.

2. A full fashioned stocking having leg, ankle, heel and foot portions, a rear seam, and reinforced high splice sections on each side of the rear seam at the rear of the ankle portion and immediately above the heel portion, each of said high splice sections having a line of widening openings therewithin substantially coincident with its inner terminal edge, the wales of the fabric between said lines of openings and said rear seam extending at an angle to that portion of the seam which joins said high splice sections together.

3. A full fashioned stocking having leg, ankle, heel and foot portions, a rear seam, and reinforced high splice sections on each side of the rear seam at the rear of the ankle portion and immediately above the heel portion, said ankle portion having its central instep wales in continuation of the wales of the leg portion and each of said high splice sections having its wales extending at an angle to the rear seam and to the first mentioned wales, the inner ends of angularly disposed wales of each high splice section terminating in a line of Widening openings substantially coincident with the inner boundary edge of said high splice section.

CHARLES B. BIEHL.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the fil of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,743,347 Hilscher Jan. 14, 1930 2,405,331 Sanderson Aug. 6, 1946 2,424,957 'Schletter July 29, 1947 2,493,910 Boedeker Jan. 10, 1950 2,494,174 Hinkley Jan. 10, 1950 2,539,582 Illges et al. Jan. 30, 1951 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 408,074 Germany Jan. 6, 1925 455,979 Great Britain Oct. 30. 1936 

